Cabinet comprising drawer supporting and guiding structure



H. M. REEVE S CABINET COMPRISING DRAWER SUPPORTING AND GUJIDINGSTRUCTURE Nov; 4, 1947.

Fiied Nov. 20, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I @EQIT 43 g o0 r \M M a m Nov. 4,1947. H. M. REEVES 1 CABINET COMPRISING DRAWER SUPPORTING AND GUIDINGSTRUCTURE I 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Nov. 20, 1943 fzzzerz/orfirbermzeeeves- Patented Nov. 4, 1947 CABINET CQMPRISING DRAWERSUPPORT-- ING AND GUIDING STRUCTURE Herbert M. Reeves, Kankakee, Ill.,assignor to Florence Stove Company, Gardner, Mass., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application November 20, 1943, Serial No. 511.50%

2 Claims.

The invention relates to stoves or other cabinet structures .of the typeequipped with slidable drawers and is concerned particularlywithimproved means for supporting and guiding such drawers.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a drawer supportingand guiding means particularly suitable for use in cook stoves o rangesadapted to positively prevent lifting of the drawer and to support iteffectually when withdrawn a substantial distance, without the use ofextension slides.

Another object is to provide a drawer supporting and guiding structureembodying simple yet effective detent means for yieldably holding thedrawer in closed position.

Still another object is to provide novel stop means for preventingaccidental pulling of the drawer from its supporting and guidingstructure.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a drawer supporting andguiding structure which is simple and rugged in construction,inexpensive to manufacture yet efficient and reliable in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description of the preferred embodimentillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a cabinet type stove equippedwith a drawer supporting and guiding structure embodying the features ofthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the stove.

Fig. 3 is a front end view of one of the drawer guides and associatedelements.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of a drawer guide with a part of theguide broken away to show details of the detent means.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken in a horizontal plane substantiallyonthe line 5-5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a transverse, vertical sectional View through the stove bodyshowing the drawer supporting and guiding structure in side elevationand the drawer in closed position.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the drawer in openposition.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will hereindescribe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understoodthat I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific formdisclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternativeconstructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

For purposes of illustration the invention has been shown as applied toa cabinet type gaseous fuel cook stove for which it is particularlysuited although it may be used in other cabinet structures if desired.The stove as shown (Fig. 1) comprises a cabinet having a generallyrectangular body Ill formed by a rigid frame enclosed by a front wallll, end walls l2 and a back wall l3. Suitable burners (not shown) areinstalled in the upper part of the body. In practice, the back wall [3of the body is spaced a substantial distance from any fixed object suchas the wall' W of the room in which the stove is installed. The sidewalls l2 may be terminated either at the back wall I3 of the body or maybe extended substantially to the wall W if desired.

The exemplary stove is formed with a plurality of compartments openingin the front wall ll of the body, one compartment l5 serving toaccommodate a sliding drawer l6. As herein shown, the drawer I6 is inthe form of a generally rectangular open topped box or tray having aflat bottom IT, upright sides 18 and back [9 of sheet metal. In theparticular tray illustrated, the sides I8 are of stepped form, the upperportion of the side being offset laterally with respect to the lowerpart as indicated at 26. A panel 2! suitably attached to the sides [8 ofthe drawer serves to close the front end of the same.

The drawer I6 is supported and guided for in and out sliding movement inthe compartment l5 by a plurality of rollers 25 mounted in pairs onopposite sides of the drawer and adapted to coact with suitablehorizontal guides 26 extending longitudinally of the compartmentsadjacent the sides of the drawer.

In accordance with the invention, the guides 26 comprise channel memberssupported in the stove body and facing inwardly of the drawercompartment to receive the rollers 25 between their vertically spacedside flanges 26a and 26b. The flanges26a and 26b confine the rollersagainst any vertical movements except a small amount required forclearance purposes.

To facilitate manufacture and assembly of the supporting and guidingstructure, the rollers 25 are journaled on the outer flanges ofelongated channel-shaped brackets 21 adapted to be rigidly secured tothe sides l8 of the drawer as by stove bolts 28 coacting with the innerflanges of the brackets. The outer flanges of the brackets may be cutaway intermediate the rollers as indicated the drawer is in the closedposition. rearward movement of the drawer a slight rela- =.tivelvertical Shifting of the guides 26. and supat 2 9 to provide convenientaccess to the bolts 28.

In accordance with the present invention one pair of drawer supportingrollers 25 is located a substantial distance back of the inner or rearend of the wall l9 of the drawer 15. To this end the brackets 21 areextended reaiwvardly of the drawer to provide the necessary supportforsuch rollers. The other roller pairs, of which two are provided inthe exemplary structure, are suitably spaced apart longitudinally of thedrawer to-support the same in closed position as-shown in Fig. 6. As therollers are confined between the flanges 26a and 26b of the guidemembers, lifting of the drawer is efiectually prevented.

When the drawer is pulled out to the open position shown in Fig. '7, theweight is shifted to the rollers journaled on the. portion of the.drawer still within the compartment I5, in this instance theintermediate pair of rollers 25. The rollers of the rear pairaccordingly engage the upper flanges 26b of their associated guides 26to sustain the drawer in a horizontal position. Moreover, as both pairsof rollers are confined between the guide flanges lifting of the draweris prevented.

The location of the rear pair of rollers a substantial distance back ofthe inner end of the drawer and the consequent wide spacing of suchrollers from the intermediate pair of rollers materially reduces thestrain imposed upon the guides 26. Lighter weight and less expensivematerials may therefore be used in the construction of the guides andassociated parts without affecting the ability of the structure toperform its intended function for long periods wihout attention oradjustment.

To permit the use of theimproved roller arrangement on a drawer ofsubstantially the same length as the compartment l5, the'guides 26 aredimensioned longitudinally so as to extend the full length of thecompartment 15 and to project through the back wall l3 of the body toaccommodate the rear pair of rollers 25. In the particular stove cabinetillustrated the guides are extended to a point closely adjacent the wallW. As this space between the back wall I3 f the body and the wall W- isalways available when customary installation practices are followed, nostructural modifications of the stove or special installation practicesare required.

The extension of the guides 26 through the back wall 13 of the body alsocontributes to reduced manufacturing costs and simplification ofassembly since it is only necessary to provide a supporting bracket 30for the forward end of each guide. Support for therearends of the guidesis provided by the back wall l3 of the body which is formed withsuitable apertures 3| adapted to receive the guides and to provideclearance for the roller supporting brackets 21. The brackets 38, asherein shown, comprise simple sheet metal stampings adapted to be spotwelded or otherwise rigidly secured to the front wall H of the body.

Advantage is taken of the relative yielding of the projecting endportions of the guides26 and roller supportingbrackets 21 to providedetent means of a simple yet eifective character for yieldably holdingthe drawer H in the closed position; As will be seen by reference'toFig. 4, a

boss'35 is pressed into the upper flange 2% ofeach guide-26 at a pointjust forwardly of the location of the axis of the rearrollers 25 when Inthe 4 porting brackets 2! permits the rollers to pass under the bosses35. After the passage of the rollers, the bosses are again interposed inthe paths of the rollers and act to resist forward movement of thedrawer. However, a relatively slight pulling force exerted on the draweris effective to release therollers aper engagement with-thebosses. Toa'ccommodate'the relative transverse movements of the rollers and theguides, the lower flanges of the latter are pressed downwardly asindicated at 36 to provide the necessary clearance.

Simple, inexpensive yet effective stop means is provided for preventingaccidental pulling of the drawer from the supporting and guidingstructure. 'The stop means as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 comprises anelongated arm 31 having a reversely bent tongue 38 at one end adapted toengage in a slot 39 of the side wall (8 of the drawer to support the armadjacentthe inner surface of the wall for pivotal movement ina verticalplane.

Intermediate its ends, the arm is offsetlaterally as at 30, to projectthrough an elongated slot il in the side N3 of the drawer. Theprojecting end of the arm is bent to form a generally U-shaped head 42presenting a-vertically disposed forwardly facing shoulder .43 forengagement with a fixed stop, in this instance. the guide supportingbracket 38, as the drawer is pulled toward the open position. As shownin Fig. 6, the shoulder 43 is located slightly ahead of the intermediaterollers l5 and is therefore effective to prevent such rollers fromleaving the guides.

When the drawer is to be removedfrom the compartment l5-the stopmemb-erswings about the pivot provided by the tongue 33 to withdraw theshoulder 43, from engaging-relation-with the bracket 39. Since the-armportion 31 of the stop is located within the drawer, it is readilyaccessible for that purpose.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides adrawer supporting and guiding structure of novel and advantageous formwhich positively prevents lifting of the drawer in either open or closedpositions and whichefiectually sustains-the drawer in a horizontal planewhen pulled out asubstantial distance from its compartment. The strainsimposed upon the supporting and guiding structure are reduced to aminimum-thus permitting the use of light weight material 1 in itsconstruction. Moreover, "the supporting and guiding structure includesnovel detentmeans for yieldably'holding thedrawer in the closedposition. The invention also provides simple and effective-stop meansfor preventing and guides.

' I claim as myinvention:

1. A drawer supporting and guiding structure comprising, in 'combinationan elongatedhorizontally disposed guide channel, supports for saidchannel, the rearmost of said supports being spaced substantially fromthe rear end of the channel to leave such end freeinwardly projectingabutment means on one flange of the channel adjacent its free end, anelongated bracket adapted to be secured to a drawer with its rear endprojecting rearwardly of and free of the drawer, a plurality of rollersmounted on and spaced apart longitudinallyof said bracket forcooperation with the flanges of said channel in sup orting and guidingthe drawer, one of said rollers being located adjacent the free end ofthe bracket for cooperation with said abutment means toreleasably holdthe drawer-in closed 5 position, the free ends of said channel and saidbracket being flexible to permit said one roller to pass over saidabutment means in the opening and closing of the drawer.

2. In a cabinet structure, a body having front, rear and side walls, adrawer compartment opening in the front wall of said body, a, drawer insaid compartment, rollers mounted in pairs on opposite sides of saiddrawer, guide means for said drawer comprising a pair of elongatedchannel members arranged on opposite sides of said compartment andpositioned to receive said rollers, means on the inner ends of saidmembers projecting inwardly thereof to engage with one pair of rollersfor releasably holding the drawer in closed position, bracketssupporting the outer ends of said members on the body, and other meanssupporting said members on the body at points spaced inwardly from theends of the members, the end portions of said members containing saidprojecting means, and being free and capable of yielding in a directionefiective to permit said rollers to pass said projecting means in theopening movement of the drawer.

HERBERT M. REEVES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,291,737 Lockwood Aug. 4, 19422,293,210 Marzolf Aug. 18, 1942 1,975,327 Loney Oct. 2, 1934 1,537,067Card May 12, 1925 1,998,517 Moore Apr. 23, 1935 1,295,186 Miller Feb.25, 1919 337,095 VanWie Mar. 2, 1886 1,477,278 OConnor Dec. 11, 1923

